Media News
Media News styled as MediaNews Group, based in Denver, Colorado, is one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States. It is privately owned and operates 40 daily newspapers in 9 states with combined daily and Sunday circulation of approximately 1.7 million and 2.3 million, respectively. The company also owns KTVA, a CBS affiliate in Anchorage, and radio stations in Texas. As of July 2005, the company's chief executive officer and vice chairman is William Dean Singleton. The president is Jody Lodovic. Gerald Grilly is executive vice president and chief operating officer. This chain is not associated with the similar-sounding Media General. History MediaNews Group was founded in 1983. In August 2006 the company acquired around $350 million in loans to purchase four newspapers from McClatchy Company. Among those providing the loan was the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation."Gates Foundation makes MediaNews loan", Toronto Star. August 22, 2006. The loan was mostly used to help pay for the acquisition of San Jose and Contra Costa newspapers (and some smaller papers), which accumulated to roughly $737 million in total. New England Newspapers In 1995 MediaNews made its first foray into the U.S. Northeast, purchasing the Berkshire Eagle and associated newspapers, including the Vermont dailies Brattleboro Reformer and Bennington BannerElfland, Mike. "Sentinel & Enterprise Sale Set," Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette, January 8, 1997. and Connecticut daily Middletown Press, the last of which it sold soon after to Journal Register Company."Business Briefs," Union-News (Springfield, Mass.), August 26, 1995 In the next two years, MediaNews expanded its footprint across Massachusetts' northern tier with its purchases of the North Adams Transcript (1996), Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise (1997)Elfland, op. cit. and Lowell Sun (also in 1997)."Lowell Paper Sold," Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette, July 9, 1997. MediaNews also purchased the Connecticut Post in 2000, paying $203 million.Gatlin, Greg. "MediaNews Drops Bid." Boston Herald, August 9, 2000. Corporate Culture MediaNews Group is known as a cost-cutter in the newspaper publishing industry. The company has a reputation for buying smaller daily newspapers in a single area (examples include Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area) and consolidating its operations, including sharing staff writers and printing facilities. As a result of the cost-cutting, according to an article in the LA Times,Menn, Joseph. There Are Two Sides to This Publisher's Story. Los Angeles Times. March 22, 2006. some former employees say that the newspapers are focused on making a profit to the detriment of good journalism. On the other hand, Singleton is quick to point out that MediaNews is committed to print journalism, not diversification into other media. Berkshire Eagle editor David E. Scribner, two years after MediaNews bought his newspaper, said the staff respected Singleton despite layoffs because of his hands-on leadership and "traditional emphasis on good writing."Elfland, op. cit. Newspapers *Alameda Times-Star *Almaden Resident - San Jose, CA *The Argus - Fremont *Bennington Banner - Bennington, VT *Berkshire Eagle - Pittsfield, Mass. *Brattleboro Reformer *Breckenridge American *Campbell Reporter - Campbell, CA *Chambersburg Public Opinion - Chambersburg, PA *Chico Enterprise Record *Connecticut Post *Contra Costa Times *Cupertino Courier - Cupertino, CA *Daily Review - Hayward, CA *Daily Democrat - Woodland, CA *The Daily Times - Farmington, NM *Denver Post *The Detroit News *El Paso Times *Eureka Times-Standard *Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise *Fairbanks Daily News-Miner *Ft. Bragg Advocate-News *The Graham Leader *Hanover Evening Sun - Hanover, PA *Jacksboro Gazette-News *Kodiak Daily Mirror *Lake County Record Bee *Lake Country Sun *Lake Country Senior Times *Lake Country Shopper *Lebanon Daily News - Lebanon, PA *Long Beach Press-Telegram *Los Angeles Daily News - Woodland Hills, CA *Los Gatos Weekly Times - Los Gatos, CA *The Lowell Sun - Lowell, MA *Marin Independent Journal *Mendocino Beacon *Milpitas Post *Monterey County Herald *North Adams Transcript - North Adams, MA *The Oakland Tribune *The Olney Enterprise *Oroville Mercury Register *Pacifica Tribune *Paradise Post *Red Bluff Daily News *The Reporter - Vacaville, CA *Rose Garden Resident - San Jose, CA *The Salt Lake Tribune *The Sun - San Bernardino, CA *San Jose Mercury News *San Mateo County Times *Saratoga News - Saratoga, CA *St. Paul Pioneer Press *Sunnyvale Sun - Sunnyvale, CA *Times-Herald - Vallejo, CA *Tri-Valley Herald - Pleasanton, CA *Ukiah Daily Journal *West San Jose Resident - San Jose, CA *Willits News *Willow Glen Resident - San Jose, CA *York Daily Record - York, PA References External links *Media News Groups Official Site Credit and categories Category:Newspaper chains Category:M